Count On Me
by Principessa
Summary: Songfic to Count On Me, sung by Whitney Houston.


**Count On Me**  
  


"Well, Sam!" he said. "What about it? I am leaving the Shire as soon as ever I can--in fact I have made up my mind now not even to wait a day at Crickhollow, if it can be helped."

"Very good, sir!"

"You still mean to come with me?"

"I do."

"It is going to be very dangerous, Sam. It is already dangerous. Most likely neither of us will come back."

"If you don't come back, sir, then I shan't, that's certain," said Sam. "'Don't you leave him!' they said to me. 'Leave him?' I said. 'I never mean to. I am going with him, if he climbs to the Moon, and if any of those Black Riders try to stop him, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with,' I said."  
  
_

Count on me through thick and thin,

_

A friendship that will never end.

When you are weak

I will be strong,

Helping you to carry on.

Call on me, I will be there, Don't be afraid;

Please believe me when I say

Count on...  
  
"I will take the Ring," Frodo said, "though I do not know the way."

"But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Hurin, and Turin, and Beren themself were assembled together, your seat should be amoung them."

"But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?" cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.

"No indeed!" said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. "You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret meeting and you are not."

Sam sat down, blushing and muttering. "A nice pickle we have landed ourselves in, Mr. Fodo!" he said, shaking his head.  
  
_

I can see it's hurting you,

_

I can feel your pain.

It's hard to see the sunshine through the rain.

I know sometimes it seems as if

It's never gonna end,

But you'll get through it,

Just don't give in cuz you can.  
  
"Of all the confounded nuisances you are the worst, Sam!" Frodo said.

"Oh, Mr. Frodo, that's hard!" said Sam, shivering. "That's hard, trying to go without me and all. If I hadn't a guessed right, where would you be now?"

"Safely on my way."

"Safely!" said Sam. "All alone and without me to help you? I couldn't have a bourne it, it'd have been the death of me."

"It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam," said Frodo, "and I could not have bourne that."

"Not as certain as being left behind," said Sam.

"But I am going to Mordor."

"I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I'm coming with you"

"Now, Sam," said Frodo, "don't hinder me! The others will be coming back at any minute. If they catch me here, I shall have to argue and explain, and I shall never have the heart or the chance to get off. But I must go at once. It's the only chance."

"Of course it is," answered Sam. "But not alone. I'm coming too, or neither of us is going. I'll knock holes in all the boats first."

"So all my plan is spoilt!" said Frodo, "It is no good trying to escape you. But I'm glad, Sam. I cannot tell you how glad."  
  
_

I know sometimes it seems as if

_

We're standing all alone.

But we'll get through it

Cuz love won't let us fall.  
  
"We must take the road, Mr. Frodo." said Sam. "We must take it and chance our luck, if there is any luck in Mordor. We might as well give ourselves up as wander about any more, or try to go back. Our food won't last. We've got to make a dash for it!"

"All right, Sam," said Frodo. "Lead me! As long as you've got any hope left. Mine is gone. But I can't dash, Sam. I'll just have to plod along."

"Before you start any more plodding, you need sleep and food, Mr. Frodo. Come and take what you can get of them!"

He gave Frodo water and an additional wafer of the waybread, and he made a pillow of this cloak for his master's head. Frodo was too weary to debate the matter, and Sam did not tell him that he had drunk the last drop of their water, and eaten Sam's share of the food as well as his own.   
  
_

There's a place inside all of us

_

Where our faith in love begins.

You should reach to find the truth in love,

The answers' there within.

I know that life can make you feel

It's much harder than it really is,

But we'll get through it,

Just don't give in.  
  
Sam could not sleep and he held a debate with himself. _"It's all quite useless. You are the fool, going on hoping and toiling. You could have lain down and gone to sleep together days ago, if you hadn't been dogged. But you'll die just the same, or worse. You might just as well lie down now and give it up. You'll never get to the top anyway."_

"I'll get there, if I leave everything but my bones behind," said Sam. _"And I'll carry Mr. Frodo up myself, if it breaks my back and heart."_

"Now for it! Now for the last gasp!" said Sam as he struggled to his feet. He bent over Frodo, rousing him gently. Frodo groaned; but with a great effort of will he staggered up; and then fell upon his knees again. He raised his eyes with difficulty to the dark slopes of Mount Doom towering above him, and then pitifully he began to crawl forward on his hands. 

Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes. "I said I'd carry him, if it broke my back," he muttered, "and I will!"

"Come, Mr. Frodo!" he cried. "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo, dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he'll go.  
  
_

Count on me through thick and thin,

_

A friendship that will never end.

When you are weak

I will be strong,

Helping you to carry on.

Call on me, I will be there

Don't be afraid;

Please believe me when I say

Count on...  
  


* * *

Disclaimer: Quotes are from the Lord of the Rings books, which I couldn't not even pretend to own, and the song is sung by Whitney Houston. 


End file.
